Saint Brewis

A St. Louis Craft Beer Blog

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Nebraska Brewing Company – Black Betty

Brewery: Nebraska Brewing Company
Location La Vista, NE
Style Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout
 ABV 11.3%
 IBUs 67

 

Best Quote During Tasting

Your next kid should wear a onesie that says "aged 10 months in a Brandy"

Justin:

Aroma - A charred, smokey character from the barrel comes out first. There's rich chocolate, burnt sugar, and roasted notes.  I'm not getting any of the vanilla that comes with barrel aging and overall, the aromas could be stronger.
Score: 9/12
Appearance - It's an opaque, black beer with a thick, tan head made up of very small, tight bubbles. The head never leaves and the lacing is sticky.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - The bourbon is there and the chocolate is right behind it. The smokiness is big....quite big actually but it's a nice twist on the other flavors. There is a dry grain character with a soft chocolate to it that works well.
Score: 16/20
Mouthfeel - The body is medium+ and the carbonation is medium for a nice, velvety feel.
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - If  I had to describe this one in 5 words, they would be "It's good, but it's smokey."  I'm not saying it was a negative because as I said, it worked well with the other flavors.  I'm only saying that it was unexpected.  At the end of the day, if you see this and buy this, you won't be disappointed.
Score: 9/10

 

Blake:

Aroma -  Lots of roasty aromas with some subtle chocolate sweetness. Like Justin I got a bit of a smokey aroma as well, and some bite from the alcohol present from the barrel aging.
Score: 9/12
Appearance - Deep dark and opaque with a dense tan head, and phenomenal lacing.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - There is a lot more of the aging from the Bourbon up front in the flavor, but it blends nicely with the rich chocolate and coffee notes from the malt. The smokiness is still there, but a bit subdued when compared to the aroma. Some burnt sugars and dark fruits hide behind the stronger notes of the beer, but open up a bit more as the beer warms.
Score: 16/20
Mouthfeel - Medium body with medium carbonation.
Score: 3/5
Overall Impression - I have another bottle of this and I'll likely save it for a good occasion. As far as barrel aged beers go, it's good, but it's really hard to get into that great category these days. 10 years ago this would have been a revelation.  Today it's just a good representation of the style.
Score: 8/10

 

Black Betty Final Score
  • Aroma
  • Appearance
  • Flavor
  • Mouthfeel
  • Overall
4.1
User Rating: 0.0 (1 votes)
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Justin Phelps

Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.
Blake Fehl

Blake Fehl

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis

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